Trades look like win-wins for Mets

If you take a few minutes and rummage through yesterday’s two big trades, it’s hard to find a way either will hurt the Mets. In fact, both should only help them.

Let’s take a look…

Matt Holliday (COL) traded to Oakland (reportedly) for Huston Street, Carlos Gonzalez and Greg Smith
Positives:
1. It keeps Holliday away from NL rivals, namely the Phillies and the Cardinals, and the Mets probably didn’t have enough to trade for him
2. It weakens the Rockies, who, despite a disaster in ‘08, did make the World Series 13 months ago
3. It puts Street on the active closer market (he was probably available on the A’s, but reportedly the Rockies are looking to move him)
4. The A’s are unlikely to re-sign Holliday in 2010, putting his bat on the open market next offseason
5. If it doesn’t out for Oakland, he may be available in JulyNegatives:
1. The Mets didn’t acquire Holliday, a three-time all-stars and one of the five best hitters in the NL
2. According to several reports, the Rockies got a haul, and probably retooled for the not-too-distant future

Josh Willingham and Scott Olsen (FLA) to Washington for minor-leaguers P.J. Dean, Jason Smolinski and Emilio BonifacioPositives:
1. The deal weakens the Marlins in the short-term, removing a 20-HR bat from their lineup and a starter with a 4.00 ERA from their rotation
2. The Marlins hardly received an overwhelming package â€” P.J. Dean is a 20-year-old low Class A pitcher, Bonifacio is a speedy second baseman with no power and little history of success with the bat and Smolinski is a 19-year-old Class A second baseman
3. The deal signals the Marlins are still shedding payroll; both Willingham and Olsen are both now arbitration eligibleNegatives:
1. It clears the logjam in the Marlins outfield and rotation
2. The Nats should become a more formidable foe
3. The Met hitters won’t have Olsen the Marlin to beat up on anymore (Olsen is 1-5 with a 4.74 ERA vs. the Mets during his Marlin career)

Final thought: One thing I’ll say…If the Rockies-A’s trade is real, Street, despite a rocky ‘08, is almost as strong a potential closer for the Mets as K-Rod and Brian Fuentes. He has a high strikeout rate in his career (more than one per inning), has a superior WHIP (1.07 career) and simply doesn’t give up home runs (18 in 269 career IP).

Street is a classic buy-low case. The Mets could try to deal for Street â€” who made just $3.3 million last season and has two more years yet before he hits free agency â€” and save their money to fill holes in the rotation, the outfield, the bench, and the ‘pen.

JOSH THOMSON joined The Journal News and LoHud.com in March 2003 and has covered high school football, basketball, baseball and pro and college sports ever since. He graduated in 1998 from Carmel High School and in 2002 from Boston University with a degree in communications. Josh spends the majority of his free time with his wife and two daughters.

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2 Comments

sleepy

Please explain how losing Olson the Marlin hurts the Mets ? Will the Nats be not allowed to pitch Olesn against ther Mets? Were the Nats moved to the AL?
Based on what evidence is Street a low buy? You have none. You just spit crap out and continue to show you need time in the minors. This rag needs a real beat writer. End the amateur hour now. Boycott this rag. Buy the Times Union from Albany instead of this rag.

You are too rough on these kids. They need the work I suppose and they don’t care if they are not ready for prime time. I don’t blame them. I agree however, that the paper should be boycotted though. They treat the Met fans like 2nd class readers. The Yanks have a full time guy but the Mets have amateurs. Boycott….. Boycott….. Boycott